Frisky Dingo is an Americananimated cartoon series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Adult Swim. The series revolved around the conflict between a supervillain named Killface and a superhero named Awesome X, alias billionaire Xander Crews, and much of the show's humor focuses on parodying superhero and action movie clichés. It debuted on October 16, 2006, and ended its first season on January 22, 2007; the second season premiered on August 26, 2007, and ended on March 23, 2008. A third season was in development, but in the absence of a renewal contract from Adult Swim, pre-production ceased. The production company itself, 70/30 Productions, subsequently went out of business in January 2009.

A spin-off show, The Xtacles, premiered on November 9, 2008, but only two episodes were aired prior to the production company's closure.

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Frisky Dingo was created by 70/30 Productions, the same group of animators who worked on Sealab 2021. The show's name during development was Whiskey Tango. Because there was already a band using the name, it was changed to Whiskey Tango Six. This name was determined not to be sufficiently distinct to avoid infringement suits, so the creators jokingly said they would call the show Frisky Dingo, and the name remained. In episode 113, Killface can be seen entering "Frisky Dingo" into the Annihilatrix launch terminal; this is mentioned in episode 210, where the character Sinn/Hooper remarks that "Frisky Dingo" is the launch code for the Annihilatrix.

According to an article in Atlanta Magazine, Whiskey Tango Six was going to be the name of the six-member superhero group on which the show focused, headed by husband and wife Jack and Grace Taggart.[1] The team flew around in a spaceship called the Glennis. Killface was going to be the main villain, but not a major character.[1] During revisions of the show's scripts, Killface became the focus of the show. It is not known when Whiskey Tango Six was replaced with Xander Crews/Awesome X and the Xtacles.

The two main characters of the show are Killface, who is a naked, bone-white, red-eyed, earless, talon-toed, spur-heeled, 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) hairless, muscular humanoid supervillain focused on destroying Earth with his invention, the Annihilatrix;[2] and billionaire tycoon Xander Crews, who fights crime under the superhero alias Awesome X.[3] Both Killface and Xander are voiced by co-creator Adam Reed. The two have an ever-shifting relationship, changing from enemies to unwilling allies on many occasions.

Other major characters include Killface's son Simon – voiced by Christian Danley – an overweight, blond-haired, pale-skinned, sexually confused, teenage Hannah Montana fan who wears sweater vests and exhibits adolescent rebellion by muttering and breaking cereal bowls;[4] Reporter Grace Ryan, former girlfriend of Xander Crews turned into Antagone, a toxic, radioactive-ant-powered villainess; Sinn – voiced by Kelly Jenrette – later known as Hooper, originally Killface's sidekick and later his enemy;[5] and the Xtacles, Awesome X's team of easily distracted and remarkably inept rocket-booted troops.[6]

Frisky Dingo takes place primarily in and around a large city simply called "Town" or "the Town". Its actual name never being mentioned becomes a running joke throughout the series. Despite its lack of a specific name, maps of "Town" are featured throughout the series which closely resemble interstate roadmaps of the city of Atlanta, Georgia where 70/30 Studios, producers of Frisky Dingo, were based. Additional evidence for "Town" being Atlanta is the presence of buildings suspiciously resembling the Cotton Mill Lofts (a location that at one time housed production operations for 70/30) burning in the second episode, "Meet Awesome-X". Also, in the episode where Killface is pandering to the African American church congregation he is wearing what looks like Michael Vick's Atlanta Falcons football jersey.

The first season of Frisky Dingo follows the adversarial relationship between the villainous Killface, who aspires to strike fear into humankind before he drives the Earth into the Sun with his Annihilatrix, and Awesome X, the secret superhero identity of multi-billionaire Xander Crews who dreads retiring after having defeated the last known supervillain.

No. in
season

No. in
series

Title

Original air date

Production
code

1

1

"Meet Killface"

October 16, 2006 (2006-10-16)

101

Killface reveals his plan to drive the Earth into the Sun, and forces the marketing staff he kidnapped to help him market the plan.

2

2

"Meet Awesome-X"

October 23, 2006 (2006-10-23)

102

Having dispatched the last supervillain, superhero Awesome X (Xander Crews) searches for ways to avoid retiring his hero persona and having to actually work at running his company.

3

3

"Pimp My Revenue"

October 30, 2006 (2006-10-30)

103

Thrilled at the prospect of a new supervillain to exploit and market, Xander sets his plans for Killface in motion. Killface, whose direct marketing of his plan to destroy the world has been unexpectedly successful, finds himself with the opportunity to appear on a morning talk show.

4

4

"XPO"

November 6, 2006 (2006-11-06)

104

Killface is in desperate need of some cash, so when a mysterious fax arrives announcing an inventor's expo with a $12 billion prize, he decides to enter the Annihilatrix. However, the expo is staged by Xander Crews, who hopes to trick Killface into signing over his action figure rights.

5

5

"News of a Kidnapping"

November 13, 2006 (2006-11-13)

105

Killface, desperate for cash and revenge, enacts a plan to find and kidnap billionaire Xander Crews. Meanwhile, Crews, still after action figure rights, enacts a plan to find and bribe Killface.

6

6

"Emergency Room"

November 20, 2006 (2006-11-20)

106

The entire Dingo gang, grievously injured in the collapse of the Annihilatrix's catwalk, have all ended up in the same emergency room.

7

7

"Meet Antagone"

November 27, 2006 (2006-11-27)

107

As Killface searches for Xander Crews, radioactive ants begin to take over Grace Ryan's mind and she transforms into voluptuous, ant-controlling supervillain Antagone, who has a hatred for Xander Crews. Antagone fights Killface during a bank robbery, blinding him with formic acid. Meanwhile, Crews is kidnapped by the Xtacles.

8

8

"Blind Faith"

December 4, 2006 (2006-12-04)

108

Xander Crews copes with being broke and Xtacle-less, while Killface struggles with being blind.

9

9

"The Odd Couple"

December 11, 2006 (2006-12-11)

109

Xander Crews, using the name Barnaby Jones, moves in with Killface; Simon runs away with all the knives; and Stan, posing as Awesome X, orders the Xtacles to find and kill Xander Crews.

At the beginning of the second season, Killface is taking credit for "curing" global warming due to the Annihilatrix having moved the Earth a total of three feet further from the sun before it malfunctioned, and has decided to run for President of the United States. Xander Crews follows suit, re-forming his company and launching his own Presidential campaign.

No. in
season

No. in
series

Title

Original air date

Production
code

1

14

"Behold a Dark Horse"

August 26, 2007 (2007-08-26)

201

The Annihilatrix malfunctions moments after being initiated, moving the Earth three feet away from the Sun and ending global warming. Instead of destroying the world, Killface decides to play the global warming card and run for the title of President of the United States.

2

15

"The Opposition"

September 2, 2007 (2007-09-02)

202

Following the incident on the Annihilatrix, Xander Crews is found to be living in financial ruins behind an RV dealership. Running an 'outreach center' made from cardboard boxes, Xander offers services such as boiling used hypodermic needles and selling them back to the homeless. Upon hearing of Killface's candidacy for President, Xander decides to run against him after revealing that he had the check for his vast fortune in his possession the entire time.

Xander and Killface both try to improve their images by going duck hunting which Xander cannot distinguish from his annual panda hunt, but the two manage to re-connect when they get lost after an assassination ploy by Valerie.

5

18

"The Miracle"

September 23, 2007 (2007-09-23)

205

After Valerie miraculously fails at another assassination attempt, Killface finds God and quickly ruins his campaign. Upon hearing that Simon is a homosexual, Killface renounces Christianity as a missile strikes him in the chest.

6

19

"The Middle"

September 30, 2007 (2007-09-30)

206

Killface begins to recuperate after the rocket incident while Xander again attempts to recruit Fred Dryer as his running mate, only to find that Sinn has taken over the Xtacles.

7

20

"The Debate, Part 1"

October 7, 2007 (2007-10-07)

207

Killface plans for the upcoming debate with Dottie, while Wendell looks into alternative campaign funds. Awesome X finds himself a prisoner along with Ronnie on board Xcalibur.

8

21

"The Debate, Part 2"

October 14, 2007 (2007-10-14)

208

While Killface prepares for the Presidential debate, Xander makes a few stops with Ronnie before he arrives. Both Xander and Killface come to realize that neither of them are qualified or allowed to run for the Presidency due to Constitutional provisions they've both overlooked. Killface decides to follow up on his original plan to destroy the world.

9

22

"A Take on 'Hooper'"

March 2, 2008 (2008-03-02)

209

Sinn and her 'Sisterhood of Chaos' (consisting of Valerie, Antagone, Watley and the Decepticles, formerly the Xtacles) claim the Annihilatrix as their own to hold the world hostage. President Taqu'il, Xander and Killface separately plan their own offensives to stop them.

10

23

"Wendell Goes Undercover Again"

March 9, 2008 (2008-03-09)

210

Killface and Simon attempt to repair the burnt couplings on the Annihilatrix, while Stan and Taquil attempt an escape from their shot-down plane. Sinn and Valerie ask Watley to kill Antagone, while Wendell is sent by Xander to kill the giant ant baby. Both Wendell and Watley inadvertently fall in love with Antagone.

11

24

"Cody Gains a Namesake"

March 16, 2008 (2008-03-16)

211

Valerie shoots Sinn and frames Wendell and Arthur. Xander learns he has an illegitimate daughter; when she comes to visit after her mother dies from cancer, Xander bribes her never to contact him again. Wendell decapitates Arthur when he tries to propose to Antagone. Antagone finally gives birth to her monster ant baby, which commits matricide by eating her head.

12

25

"Differences are Put Slightly Aside"

March 23, 2008 (2008-03-23)

212

Series finale. Wendell names the monster ant baby 'Cody 2' and rides it around town achieving orgasms on its back along the way. Everybody else races to the Annihilatrix while the Deceptacles make a stew out of Arthur's decapitated body in the motel swimming pool. After killing Cody 2, Killface's alien brethren (including his mother) arrive to inquire about how the Earth has not yet been annihilated and why he is not wearing any clothes.

The Xtacles is a spin-off from Frisky Dingo in which the Xtacles, Xander Crews' private army, take a lead role. The series revolves around the Xtacles' lack of direction following the abduction of their leader by aliens at the end of Frisky Dingo. They take on random missions from President Stan, who returns from the previous series. The series premiered its only two episodes on November 9, 2008.